Danzo slowly opened his eyes, and the once murky gaze became sharp and determined.
"I will launch a surprise attack, rescue the ninja trapped in Red Valley, and force the coalition forces to split their attention, preventing them from concentrating fully on attacking Kikyo Mountain!"
Nara Shikai stared in shock at the resolute Danzo.
This old man... isn't he being a bit too aggressive?
Oh wait, it's Danzo. Never mind.
In this situation, Shikai couldn't help but carefully analyze the feasibility of this plan.
First, although the reinforcements sent by Mitokado Homura were surrounded, they hadn't been annihilated. Such a large force couldn't be ignored by the enemy, as they posed a threat to the coalition's logistics.
However, the enemy was also in a hurry to conquer Kikyo Mountain as quickly as possible, so they couldn't afford to allocate too many forces to eliminate them completely. That's why the situation had reached such a stalemate.
The key now was whether Danzo could successfully rescue them and return to defend Kikyo Mountain in time.
If he succeeded, the hundreds of liberated ninja would pose a significant threat to the enemy's logistics.
But if he failed, not only would Danzo be trapped, but Kikyo Mountain would also fall.
By comparison, the calm and rational Shikai would have chosen to hold the fort without hesitation.
Danzo's breakout attempt had a slim chance of success and carried enormous risks.
Besides, Danzo was the Hokage's trusted brother-in-arms. If something happened to him, how could Shikai take responsibility?
Seeing Shikai's hesitation, Danzo waved his hand decisively. "My decision is made. No further discussion!"
Unable to persuade him, Shikai reluctantly agreed, silently praying that Danzo's infamy as a "cockroach who lives forever" would hold true and nothing would go wrong on his watch.
Without wasting any more time, Danzo assigned Aburame Ryoma to fully support Shikai's work and then quietly set out for the battlefield.
Neither Aburame Ryoma nor the other members of Root tried to stop him. Instead, they requested to join him on the battlefield, vowing to die by his side if necessary.
Danzo's face darkened.
Why did everyone assume he was going to die?
He was, after all, a disciple of the Second Hokage and a strong contender for the Hokage position!
Grumbling internally, Danzo refused their request, claiming their speed would slow him down. Then, armed with a map, he set off alone.
As soon as he left Kikyo Mountain, he didn't hesitate to spend 600 skill points to upgrade his Strength (from B- to A-), Taijutsu (from B to A-), and Stamina (from B+ to A-), fully addressing his weaknesses.
He then spent an additional 1,000 skill points to raise his Speed to A.
With that, all the skill points he had painstakingly accumulated at Kikyo Mountain were completely used up.
A surge of warmth coursed through his body, rejuvenating every cell from top to bottom.
Danzo could feel a noticeable increase in his chakra levels and a significant improvement in his taijutsu.
The most dramatic change, however, was in his speed—not just his physical movement but also his reaction time.
In Danzo's vision, everything around him seemed to slow down. He could even clearly see the wings of the insects buzzing nearby, their movements as distinct as if viewed through a high-speed camera, frame by frame.
A faint smile appeared on Danzo's lips. This was the ace up his sleeve for taking such a risk.
He was no longer the old Danzo. Now, entering the stage was Modified Danzo!
Under Aburame Ryoma's watchful gaze, Danzo's figure vanished in an instant.
The latter froze in shock. When had Lord Danzo's speed become this fast?
Had he been hiding his strength all along, or had he been secretly training in places no one knew about?
As expected of Lord Danzo!
————
The Border of the Land of Fire: Red Valley
The Cloud ninja surrounding the valley had just finished another assault.
Scarlet rocks mixed with sand tumbled down from the cliffs, crashing loudly into the valley.
Red Valley, a massive canyon enclosed by two towering mountains, earned its name from the red-hued rocks that dominated the landscape. While the mountains were colossal and solid, the valley's entrance was narrow, allowing only a small number of ninja to pass through at a time. Any attempt to enter was immediately met with resistance from Konoha forces.
Meanwhile, the skies above the valley had long been sealed off with Earth Release techniques by Konoha ninja. Anyone attempting to break through from above would be met with concentrated fire.
Thanks to this unique terrain, Konoha's reinforcements had managed to hold out for so long.
But this situation was about to change.
After enduring relentless assaults and losing hope for rescue, the Konoha ninja in the valley had reached their mental limit. Their counterattacks were becoming sluggish and ineffective.
Most crucially, A had arrived.
"Pathetic Konoha ninja, doomed to die under the orders of their incompetent commanders," A sneered as he looked down at the figures in the valley.
When he and Rasa first encountered these Konoha forces, they were momentarily startled, thinking Konoha's main army had arrived.
But it didn't take long for them to strike, swiftly and decisively.
As expected, the reinforcements were crushed by the well-prepared coalition forces.
Out of a thousand Konoha ninja, nearly half perished under the attacks of the Cloud and Sand ninja.
The remainder retreated into the valley, clinging to the terrain for survival.
But soon, Konoha's geographical advantage would be nullified.
In this world, top-tier warriors could reshape the landscape itself.
---
Meanwhile, in a forest some distance from Red Valley, an intense argument was unfolding.
"We have to save them!"
Uchiha Shisui stared resolutely at the valley in the distance, his eyes burning with determination.
"With this number of Cloud ninja, even if we step in, it won't make a difference," Kakashi replied, his hands in his pockets, his tone cold and composed. "More importantly, our mission is to sever the enemy's supply lines, not rescue those reinforcements."
"Are we just going to watch our comrades perish like this? Have you forgotten the Will of Fire, Kakashi-senpai? We must never abandon our comrades!"
Shisui's voice trembled with emotion as he tried to persuade Kakashi.
But Kakashi, as their captain, stared directly at Shisui and said, "A ninja's duty is to complete the mission. Those who can't complete their mission are trash."
Shisui, unable to accept this reasoning, shot back, "Comrades are what matter most! I could never abandon my comrades for the sake of a mission!"
Kakashi fell silent at these words. Then he stood up.
"Do whatever you want. As for me, I'll continue with the mission."
Shisui fixed his gaze on Kakashi's retreating back, his voice trembling with accusation.
"Kakashi! You knew this would happen from the start, didn't you? You lured the pursuers here on purpose to complete the mission, didn't you?"
If it hadn't been for the Konoha ninja trapped in Red Valley drawing the enemy's attention, A would likely still be hunting them down.
Hearing this, Kakashi paused and turned his head slightly, revealing his single visible eye.
"Yes, that's right. To complete the mission, I'm willing to sacrifice anyone, including you."
With that, he disappeared without another word.
Shisui stood frozen in place, unable to move for a long time.
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